Expert: Dr. Christina Chambreau - 5/28/2009

Question
Hello - I am hoping to find some answers on feline asthma and respiratory problems.  I have an 18 year old cat, Buddy, who started over 1 1/2 ago to make noises like gurgling, rattly/congested sounds ONLY WHEN PURRING. Originally it was rare, and I treated it like fluid retention with homeopathic medicine and herbs (Apex, dandelion).  And, it would go away.  I thought maybe it was a cold. It continued happening on and off.  In Oct. 2007 Buddy lost his 17-year partner, and in Dec. 2007 he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  NOW, I realize I made a bad move, but I was upset loosing Josephine, and mad at my holistic vet for not doing more to save Josephine.  But, I allowed the traditional vet to prescribe methimazole, which I have been giving to him since Dec. 2007.  I new better, and I now remember that I had been told before that it is toxic to the kidneys.  And, to make matters worse, his T4 was only 5.8 at the time.  He has lost weight and muscle mass since.  I have mentioned the gurgling noise to him every time I went in, because I thought maybe it was the beginning of congestive heart failure, but since Buddy only does it when he is purring, the doctor could not hear it and dismissed it.  Within the last 4-5 months, I have noticed it getting louder, more pronounced, and more frequent.  And I was getting more and more concerned. In March we started giving him fluids because I was concerned about the hyperthyroid masking kidney disease, and within the month he crashed because of low potassium.  Which I think was triggered because of the fluids. Now we believe he has beginning kidney failure (his values still look pretty good – except for potassium).  I am giving him potassium every day and we are monitoring closely.  I noticed when I brought him home that his gurgling had gone away.  Now, I think it may be allergies.  It was about this time that the doctor said he probably has asthma, because the x-rays showed no fluid in the lungs.  However, he did have air pockets/gas in the stomach/intestines, which means he is breathing through his mouth.  Over the last 2-3 weeks he has been getting worse.  And now, I am needing to know a few things - I may have been making things worse for Buddy.  I have been running an air purifier all day every day.  Also, I have been running a humidifier on and off where I have been putting 2-3 drops of different essential oils in the water thinking it would help him breath.  I have been dropping Eucalyptus in the water mostly.  One day I did Lavender.  A few days I tried Eucalyptus with Rosemary.  As of the last few days I switched to Peppermint.  I stopped doing it yesterday.  Except for today, the last 7-10 days he has been having trouble breathing, and now you can hear wheezing from this nose constantly.  Today I spent a lot of time researching, and came across info that these oils are toxic to cats.  But, I considered that to mean rubbing on the cat, or giving orally.  Is it toxic to use drops in the humidifier?  He has been a little better today.  I may have been causing him to get worse over these last few weeks.  What would it do to him, and would it be permanent?  Do you have any idea about the gurgling/rattly noise that started some time ago?  My traditional vet thinks it is laryngeal paralysis (or tumor).  And wants to put him under to investigate and take a biopsy if necessary.  He is over 18 years old, and I think this is extreme.  He never has been treated for asthma or allergies (except me poisoning him accidentally).  This past Saturday (the 23rd) I took him to another holistic vet who did some acupuncture on him.  It did seem to help for one day.  But, at that time, I was still doing the essential oil/humidifier thing.  Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Also, would you know whether Clear Lungs (chinese herbs) for asthma would be OK to give to a cat?  I am hoping for some answers and maybe some help.  Thanks so much, Denise.  

Answer
Dee, congratulations for having a cat who was fairly healthy until about 16.  obviously are doing a lot of the right things.
Second, You are doing a lot of research, you are using holistic veterinarians (please email me at HealThyAnimals@aol.com to let me know who they are), you are probably not vaccinating and are feeding raw meat diet and supplements.

The main problem seems to be that you have not yet grasped the key principles of health and illness. I would suggest you buy Don Hamilton's Homeopathic Care of Cats and dogs (www.ChristinaChambreau.com - go to book - and order it there to help me a bit) and read and re-read the first 3 chapters. If really interested in learning these principles, come to one of my courses or purchase the Organon by Samuel Hahnemann, and Radical Healing by Ballentine. Theses all give you the overall perspectives of stepping back and looking at the whole cat and problems. (You are definitely doing this more than most people, and it may not help the progress of your cat's illness. You will just understand more what is happening.) Also check out Brighthaven.org - they have adopted cats at 16 and older and some lived to 28 - 30!!.

Hello - I am hoping to find some answers on feline asthma and respiratory problems.  I have an 18 year old cat, Buddy, who started over 1 1/2 ago to make noises like gurgling, rattly/congested sounds ONLY WHEN PURRING. Originally it was rare, and I treated it like fluid retention with homeopathic medicine and herbs (Apex, dandelion).

ME: This would have been the point to not just treat with Apis and dandelion, but to look at the early warning signs (see below) and any other clues to find a more deeper acting remedy. I would have done the herbs and a better remedy.

And, it would go away.  I thought maybe it was a cold. It continued happening on and off.  

ME: This is a clue that you were merely palliating, not moving towards a cure, and you may have been suppressing. You may have needed to give the Apis, if it were the constitution, more frequently.

In Oct. 2007 Buddy lost his 17-year partner, and in Dec. 2007 he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  

ME: At that point I would definitely be looking at remedies that have ailments for grief, and would have spoken with several intuitives, as that is now part of why he is ill.

NOW, I realize I made a bad move, but I was upset loosing Josephine, and mad at my holistic vet for not doing more to save Josephine.  But, I allowed the traditional vet to prescribe methimazole, which I have been giving to him since Dec. 2007.  I new better, and I now remember that I had been told before that it is toxic to the kidneys.  And, to make matters worse, his T4 was only 5.8 at the time.  

Me: Happens to us all. Seems easier to just do the drugs. Hyperthyroidism, itself, causes kidney problems. Kidney problems are common as cats age, especially ones who are fed dry (yours probably was not).

He has lost weight and muscle mass since.  I have mentioned the gurgling noise to him every time I went in, because I thought maybe it was the beginning of congestive heart failure, but since Buddy only does it when he is purring, the doctor could not hear it and dismissed it.  Within the last 4-5 months, I have noticed it getting louder, more pronounced, and more frequent.  And I was getting more and more concerned. In March we started giving him fluids because I was concerned about the hyperthyroid masking kidney disease, and within the month he crashed because of low potassium.

ME: Fluids have adequate potassium in them, so they do not cause low potassium.  There is a groups of veterinarians using molecular minerals (I have not done much with this yet) who say that these minerals, and not fluids, are best for kidney failure. (Research them on line and there was a talk at AHVMA conference in the last few years.  If you thought it was congestive heart failure, I would have strongly suggested X-rays and ultrasound and maybe an echo. Diagnostic tests are often needed because most of us (myself for sure) are not very good at using our eyes and ears to diagnose problems. Were you using my Healthy Animal's Journal, you may have had a more clear idea of the progression and have changed holistic modalities at that time.

Which I think was triggered because of the fluids. Now we believe he has beginning kidney failure (his values still look pretty good – except for potassium).  I am giving him potassium every day and we are monitoring closely.  I noticed when I brought him home that his gurgling had gone away.  Now, I think it may be allergies.  It was about this time that the doctor said he probably has asthma, because the x-rays showed no fluid in the lungs.  However, he did have air pockets/gas in the stomach/intestines, which means he is breathing through his mouth.

ME: okay - so you did Xrays and it is not heart failure. The blood values do not indicate kidney failure. You have now been chasing things that did not exist except in your guessing. To say probably allergies, probably asthma, is just a probably. What you do know are his specific symptoms. Seeing air in the intestines can be from a number of causes. Do YOU see him open mouth breathing? If not, he probably is not and there is another cause of gas (wrong food?).

Over the last 2-3 weeks he has been getting worse.

ME: Sometimes, with the best I can do, or other holistic veterinarians can do, animals just reach a certain age and develop more and more symptoms.

And now, I am needing to know a few things - I may have been making things worse for Buddy.  I have been running an air purifier all day every day.  Also, I have been running a humidifier on and off where I have been putting 2-3 drops of different essential oils in the water thinking it would help him breath.  I have been dropping Eucalyptus in the water mostly.  One day I did Lavender.  A few days I tried Eucalyptus with Rosemary.  As of the last few days I switched to Peppermint.  I stopped doing it yesterday.  Except for today, the last 7-10 days he has been having trouble breathing, and now you can hear wheezing from this nose constantly.  Today I spent a lot of time researching, and came across info that these oils are toxic to cats.  But, I considered that to mean rubbing on the cat, or giving orally.  Is it toxic to use drops in the humidifier?  

ME: the people who feel that oils are toxic to cats certainly would include vapors, because that is being directly taken into the body, so of course it is toxic. Every cat is an individual, and my experience has shown that some cats, like some people, are very sensitive to oils (in any form, even the safer hydrosols), and others are cured by oils. One, you are changing things too fast. You are not giving your cat's body and energy field time to respond to one oil before changing to another so you cannot easily evaluate the response. Paying attention to everything going on is sometimes the key to success. A homeopathic vet told me the other day of questioning a person so carefully about chemicals on the lawn because of the spring illness. Asked about neighbors, etc. Treated the dog successfully but it came back the next year. Finally, in the third year the veterinarian discovered they lived next to a GOLF COURSE!!!!! Chemical city!!! So you are doing the right thing to say, "What could be causing some of the problems? Is it the humidifier with oils? Let's stop them and see how he does. I have a list of 20 symptoms and energy levels and playfulness, etc that I can use to see if this helps him or if stopping it makes him worse." Sometimes we get a mixture - something helps one thing and not the other. It can be confusing.

He has been a little better today.  I may have been causing him to get worse over these last few weeks.  What would it do to him, and would it be permanent?

ME: I do not know what oils do to cats, so I cannot really say. It would not be permanent. If he is better without oils, do not use them. If weeks go by and you think a symptom needs an oil, you could try it, and see if the symptoms return, then you know that causes it.

Do you have any idea about the gurgling/rattly noise that started some time ago?  My traditional vet thinks it is laryngeal paralysis (or tumor).  And wants to put him under to investigate and take a biopsy if necessary.  He is over 18 years old, and I think this is extreme.

ME: I would have thought sinusitis, maybe from a chronic calicivirus becoming activated with old age; asthma; allergies; heart problem; pneumonia; heartworms. I would be treating the symptoms with one homeopathic remedy that fits ALL of the symptoms the best. I would evaluate each diagnostic test - "If I do this, what will it tell me and how can I use the information to help him?" There is a risk benefit ration. I am treating a cat who, on Xray and ultrasound, has a dilated heart. I do want tests every few months to see how we are progressing.

He never has been treated for asthma or allergies (except me poisoning him accidentally).  This past Saturday (the 23rd) I took him to another holistic vet who did some acupuncture on him.  It did seem to help for one day.

ME: Sometime acupuncture will help for just a few days and needs to be repeated twice a week for a few weeks. If the practitioner has a good grasp of what is needed, the sessions should then go to weekly, then to less.  I knew a dane with Wobbler who was able to walk after 10 sessions at twice a week, needed twice a week for 6 months, then once a week for the next 2 years until she died at 10. She was never cured, but it kept her able to enjoy life and go on walks. (They drove 2 hours each way for this!!)

But, at that time, I was still doing the essential oil/humidifier thing.  Do you have any ideas or suggestions?

ME: IF you think the acupuncturist is treated the "whole cat" and not just points for specific "ailments", I would work with her for awhile. I would stop all oils in any form, even on you. If the acupuncturist is not "getting him", I would begin to work with a homeopath. There are many good one who work by phone - a few I really like are Bernstein, Sagrara, Bradley, Bochenski, Feinman, Ramelmeier.
Also learn REiki and use it a lot with him. Also look at flower essence as they have NO side effects. Start with Spirit essences. (Www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php)

Also, would you know whether Clear Lungs (chinese herbs) for asthma would be OK to give to a cat?  I am hoping for some answers and maybe some help.  Thanks so much, Denise.

ME: While Clear lungs may help, you are again grabbing at thing (homeopathy, herbs, now chinese herbs) merely to treat one symptom. You are not addressing all the problems as one. This is critical.

NOw, I am adding what I send most people who are not as well educated as yourself, along with the early warning signs I mentioned earlier. Please take some of my classes.

When I only had my conventional veterinary training, I would often be very frustrated by problems like this. Now that the multitude of holistic modalities is available, I can tell you to never give up. Try one after the other, and record the changes with each.

Please go to my web site and sign up for the free newsletter - www.ChristinaChambreau.com. On the products page, there are many great supplements.

If you were trained in different healing modalities (see below - YOU BE THE HEALER) you could help by using Reiki, T-Touch, HTA, flower essences, supplements, homeopathy and more.  

Start with reading these, then  FIND A HEALER, below.
7 KEYS TO HEALTHY ANIMALS
1. Know the current level of health. Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find that other things we thought were normal go away.  Your goal is for your animal to have great energy, no doggy odor, no hairball vomiting, little shedding, a glowing coat and many more. A complete list of these signs is below. In young animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start exploring new options for lifestyle or treatment.  Buy the Healthy Animal's Journal (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com) so you can see how these early warning symptoms and obvious ill symptoms change over time.  

2. Feed the best. What are the best diets for people or animals -- the most processed or the freshest, most organic?  The best ingredients should be the most consciously raised - local, organic vegetables, free ranging protein sources.  Briefly, the best diet for dogs and cats is raw meat including raw bones, pureed raw and cooked vegetables and a few supplements (Calcium if no bones are eaten is critical). Start as young kittens and puppies or at whatever age you read this (Brighthaven.org, a cat sanctuary switches 16 years old and older cats to raw meat diet and some have lived to 27 and 30). Second best is same quality, but cooked.  Even grocery store quality meat and vegetables are much better than most processed foods. Commercial raw food diets can be great to medium quality. Every animal needs and wants a different combination at different times in their lives, just as we do. With any food, observe each of your animals for the effect that food has on them. NEVER feed DRY food to cats - even as treats.

3. Vaccinate the least. Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals.  The AVMA now recommends that cats and dogs only be vaccinated every 3 years.  On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later, so I recommend just a few baby shots then only rabies as needed to be legal. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including cancer. Learn Reiki (see below) to help avoid vaccine problems.  A wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups. To register, go to jstsayno2vaccs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

4. Use the fewest chemicals, remembering that there are chemicals in vaccines. Each animal is an individual and will respond differently to heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. Some are very sensitive to chemicals used in the yard or the house. Chemicals in foods can cause allergic type reactions. Healthy yards have lots of weeds. House cleaners can be made from foods and microfibril cloths clean like a charm. Healthy animals never get fleas and ticks.   

5. Understand how animals become ill and how they heal. First there is an energetic imbalance (they are just not right), then functional (the dog is itchy), then inflamed (skin is red, infected, swollen and hot) and finally tissue changes (thick, black skin). Results of any treatment can be no change, amelioration (current symptoms disappear with no other improvements, then return), suppression (current symptoms disappear and they become more ill) or a cure (everything about the animal to begins to improve, especially the overall energy level.)  
Keeping a journal is critical to determine what treatments are helping problems to become less frequent and less severe. You can stand firm with what you feel is working even if your professional disagrees and change approaches when needed.
Www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com is a great one to use.

6. Learn different healing approaches. There are many different ways to stimulate your healing that you never need to give up trying. Flower essences, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, Reiki and chiropractic are a few. Classes are found through your health food store, by phone or on-line.

7. Select the best healers for each animal's health team. Most people want a veterinarian (preferably integrative) and an energy healer. You decide what needs to be tried next for your animal. When you realize the animal is not improving – seek different care.

FIND A HEALER
I strongly recommend finding an integrative veterinarian with whom to work. This is a person trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion  can live a long and healthy life. There are good ones and great ones, and a few that really are not even holistic. Go to www.VetAdviceLine.com and read the article in the library about selecting and working with a holistic veterinarian. There are other great articles there, as well.
You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:
1. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: www.IVAS.org & www.TCVM.com
2. Homeopath (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): www.theAVH.org
3. Chiropractor - www.animalchiropractic.org
4. Wide range of other treatments: www.AHVMA.org, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
To become a homeopathic patient of Dr. Chambreau (me), email HealthyAnimals@aol.com for a handout on my practice or read it at my website. I can work by phone from anywhere in the US.  

There are also lots of practitioners and approaches that are used by trained people that you can find by searching the Internet.

YOU BE THE HEALER  

I also strongly recommend getting some training in understanding the wide range of approaches to health so you can be in charge of what you choose for treatments for your animals. This would include only vaccinating when young except for legally required Rabies (Do you get measles, mumps and polio every year of your life?  Did you know the package inserts say to only vaccinate healthy animals?) and exploring feeding fresh foods, not processed. What is best for you to eat – junky processed foods, or locally grown, fresh foods? Also, you can learn Reiki (which can take the "bad" out of vaccines and any needed drugs, or even make food healthier), massage, HTA, TTouch, flower essence therapy, aromatherapy, and many more things you can do to help heal your animals. In addition to classes (see below), there are many very good list serves filled with people experienced with not vaccinating and feeding raw meat diets. Go to yahoogroups.com and look for “Just say no 2 vaccs” and “Raw Paws”. As with human nutrition, there are many different opinions, so you need to experiment and see what makes your animals more or less healthy. Keeping a journal can help you decide what is working and what is not working (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com).

www.ChristinaChambreau.com has a listing of courses taught by her and others that may help you. You can do searches online for the many other classes and lectures available. Go to www.theAVH.org for classes every November as part of the annual conference.

Healthy Animal Update is an emailed newsletter that is occasionally sent out – to sign up – go to www.ChristinaChambreau.com. While there check out classes and products.

Good Health and looking forward to seeing you/hearing you in some of my classes.
Dr. Chambreau


REIKI:
From the book, Healthy Animal's Journal - "Reiki: Personally, I think every person who lives with or works with animals must know at least Level I Reiki. The practitioner places her hands upon the animal (or it can be done from a distance as some animals are too sensitive for direct touch) with the intent for healing to occur. The energy flows through the healer into the animal. This is based on directly applying Chi (energy) to rebalance the energy field so it no longer needs to produce the physical symptoms. It is a very good adjunct to any healing modality, especially to relieve pain and inflammation. It also "takes the bad out of" things. By doing Reiki on smelly water in restaurants I have been able to drink sweet tasting and smelling water. Use Reiki anytime that you must give injections, vaccines, drugs, flea or heartworm drugs, or other substances with potential toxicity. Hold the syringe or the drug in your hand until the heat clears, then hold your hand over the injection site, then daily offer the Reiki until your hands do not get hot (not needed any more).Do you work in a grooming salon, or kennel, or veterinary clinic, or barn or anywhere animals are being seen? Use your Reiki on any treatments to be given and to calm the animals. People have reported getting animals to eat by doing Reiki on their food.  http://www.reiki.org  . Get a free treatment at www.interdimensionalhealing.com. Great information on Reiki - http://www.reikicourse.orgKathleen Prasad is a wonderful teacher and works with my favorite sanctuary and holistic education center, BrightHaven www.brighthaven.org . Kathleen leads a free monthly telechat for anyone trained in Reiki and using it with animals. http://www.animalreikisource.com/ If you cannot find a Reiki Class near you (same class for people and animals as it connects you through an "attunement" to the healing energy of the universe, making you a channel of healing), three groups offer long distance, free, attunements. http://theholisticcare.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13" http://theholisticcare.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13, http://www.freereikiattunement.com   Another group that offers Reiki attunements, classes and training on-line www.ReikiBlessings.com and animal classes, too www.animalhealers.homestead.com/  A Reiki Class will be part of the PGFFD summer health classes in June in Bowie, www.HomeopathicAnimalCare.org

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF ILLNESS FOR DOGS AND CATS

Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance, made worse from poor diet and vaccination.  They are rarely acute diseases (except injuries). Therefore, you may find that the problem does not clear up as you expect or it recurs. If so, you are dealing with an underlying predisposition to illness, and these clues to underlying ill health will help you select a remedy and monitor the results.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find
that certain other "NORMAL" things go away, too.  Do not be satisfied until most of the following symptoms are gone.  In young, apparently healthy animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start treatment. This is only the beginning of a list - as more animals are cured we will find new levels of health. Tracking these is easy when you use the Healthy Animal's Journal by Dr. Christina Chambreau (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com)

SKIN: doggy smell; attracts fleas a lot; dry, oily, lack-luster coat;
excessive shedding; not grooming,    ear problems - waxy, oily, itchy, recurrent mites; eye discharge, tearing, or matter in corner of eyes; raised third eyelid; spots appearing on iris; "freckles" appearing on face; whiskers falling out; fragile, thickened, distorted claws that are painful or sensitive to trim.
BEHAVIOR: Fears(of loud noises, thunder, wind, people, animals, life); too timid; too rough or aggressive (even at play); too hard to train; barks too much and too long; suspicious nature; biting    when petted too long; hysteria when restrained; clumsy; indolent; licking or sucking things or people too much; not using litter box or not covering stool.
DIGESTIVE: Bad breath; tarter accumulation; loss of teeth; poor appetite; craving weird things(rubber    bands, plastic, dirt, cat litter, paper, dogs eating dog or cat stools, rocks, sticks...); sensitivity to milk;    thirst - a super healthy cat on non dry food will drink at most once a week; red gum line; vomiting often, even hairballs more than a few times a year; mucous on stools; tendency to diarrhea with least    change of diet; obesity;  anal gland problems; recurrent parasites.
STIFFNESS when getting up, early hip dysplasia; tires easily in hot or cold weather; can no longer jump up on counters, or go up or down steps.
TEMPERATURE: Low grade fevers - Normal for healthy cats and dogs is
100-101.5.
AGE & REPRODUCTION: Should live a long life (Shepards 17 years, Danes 12, cats 24). should be able    conceive easily, deliver normally, and not pass on "genetic breed" problems.